Inside the multitouch FingerWorks tech in Apple's tablet

The hyped anticipation surrounding the Apple Event later this week is looking for clues as to exactly what the company might deliver. One element of the anticipated new tablet's software side is related to Apple's 2005 acquisition of multitouch technology and expertise from FingerWorks.

The infusion of technology developed by FingerWorks meshed with research Apple had already been working on in the area of touch-based interfaces as an alternative to the keyboard. Since the origins of the personal computer in the mid 1970s, the conventional keyboard has always been its primary interface. But investigation into alternative finger touch methods of computer input was in progress at least as early as 1982, when Nimish Mehta at the University of Toronto published research involving cameras, placed behind a translucent panel, that could record multiple touch points of a user's hands.

Mice and then trackballs were added to provide pointer-centric navigation within the graphical environment that the Macintosh popularized in the 1980s. Having a keyboard still remained essential in personal computing however, in many cases being more efficient than trying to use an alternative device to point to items in a menu.

The stylus takes on the keyboard: 1990s

In the 1990s, the idea of stylus-based "pen computing" questioned whether the keyboard was still absolutely necessary, particularly in mobile devices. Apple's 1993 Newton Message Pad offered an external keyboard accessory, but it was primarily designed to be used via its stylus, using a series of pen gestures and handwriting recognition for text input. Apple also prototyped a PowerBook-based tablet system called the PenLite in 1993, but did not release it to avoid affecting Newton sales.

The Newton's advanced ink technology was criticized and mocked for its initial inaccuracy, a problem Apple largely corrected in its Newton 2.0 release. By then however, many were convinced that its ink recognition technology wasn't really feasible. When Palm launched the Pilot in 1996, it used a simplified alphabet system called Graffiti that greatly reduced recognition errors, although it also required learning a new handwritten input system of simplified letter forms.

Palm's Graffiti input software had premiered on the Newton, but Apple's PDA platform failed to reach a critical mass in sales. Palm's popular Pilot PDAs powered by Graffiti initially seemed to suggest a rosy future for stylus input as a keyboard alternative. While compact external keyboards were available for it as well, the value of the Palm Pilot's portability came largely from its pen.

in 1997, Apple released a new Newton form factor: the eMate, which paired a stylus with a conventional keyboard in a mini-laptop design. The device was aimed at education at a time when schools were unlikely to spring for full-powered, full priced notebooks for every student. Before it had much time to be evaluated by the market however, the entire Newton line was pulled in early 1998 as Apple worked to focus on its most promising platforms in an effort to return to profitability.

Microsoft belatedly attempted to deliver its own alternative to Palm's PDAs by morphing its unsuccessful Handheld PC product line (clamshell mini-laptops with keyboards) into stylus-based Palm PC PDAs around 2000 (they were later renamed Pocket PC after Palm objected to the name). The company also attempted to resurrect Newton-style freehand handwriting recognition by licensing technology from Apple spinoff General Magic in 1998.

Microsoft licensed its Pocket PC operating system (built on the Windows CE kernel) to a variety of hardware manufacturers over the decade of the 2000s, but the PDA category failed to materialize as a significant market. Since 2001, the company has also marketed a stylus-based tablet version of its desktop Windows platform (based on the Windows NT/XP kernel), which has also been unsuccessful outside of a few niche markets. Bill Gates' 2001 prediction that "within five years [the stylus-drive Tablet PC] will be the most popular form of PC sold in America" simply failed to materialize.

At the iPhone's introduction, Steve Jobs boldly announced that stylus-driven interfaces that Microsoft's Gates had hailed just a half decade earlier were no longer worth investigating. "Now, how are we going to communicate this?" Jobs said of the iPhone. "We don't want to carry around a mouse, right? So what are we going to do? Oh, a stylus, right? We're going to use a stylus. No. Who wants a stylus? You have to get em and put em away, and you lose em. Yuck. Nobody wants a stylus. So let's not use a stylus."

We're going to use the best pointing device in the world. We're going to use a pointing device that we're all born with -- born with ten of them. We're going to use our fingers. We're going to touch this with our fingers. And we have invented a new technology called multi-touch, which is phenomenal. It works like magic. You don't need a stylus. It's far more accurate than any touch display that's ever been shipped. It ignores unintended touches, it's super-smart. You can do multi-finger gestures on it. And boy, have we patented it."

I've already started exercising my eye rolling in preparation of some posters crying foul on Apple for offering a stylus accessory despite the fact that the primary input for the tablet will be finger-based with the stylus being for select app features for particular users, like drawing diagrams in class.

Start workout: superior rectus muscle intorsion with left extorsion with right and 1 and 2 and 3 and, superior rectus muscle extorsion with right and intorsion with left and 1 and 2 and 3 and... Also, do forget to drink plenty of fluids on Wednesday

Ive already started exercising my eye rolling in preparation of some posters crying foul on Apple for offering a stylus accessory despite the fact that the primary input for the tablet will be finger-based with the stylus being for select app features for particular users, like drawing diagrams in class.

I agree, there is nothing like a sharp pencil, or the stylus equivalent.
Larry

As the de facto input method, absolutely not. As an included accessory, I doubt that, too.

But there is a need for a stylus if this tablet is going to be marketed across the board, like I think it is. A stylus for signatures, drawing in many various situations, and even replicating the annotations that we do in textbooks with a simple stylus that can change from a highlighter, underliner, strikethougher(?), etc.

Outside of smartphones, Apple has also applied its multitouch technology in MacBook trackpads and the new Magic Mouse. Both are rather conservative implementations of multitouch gestures which don't require much specialized training from users. For its tablet and future trackpad devices, Apple may introduce a new layer of sophistication in multitouch gestures. ][/url][/c]

Id love to be able to connect the tablet via bluetooth to act as a full touch control surface for my desktop Mac Pro..

My step dad just bought a 27" iMac from the Apple store. He signed an iPod Touch using his finger.

Quote:

Originally Posted by solipsism

As the de facto input method, absolutely not. As an included accessory, I doubt that, too.

But there is a need for a stylus if this tablet is going to be marketed across the board, like I think it is. A stylus for signatures, drawing in many various situations, and even replicating the annotations that we do in textbooks with a simple stylus that can change from a highlighter, underliner, strikethougher(?), etc.

As the de facto input method, absolutely not. As an included accessory, I doubt that, too.

But there is a need for a stylus if this tablet is going to be marketed across the board, like I think it is. A stylus for signatures, drawing in many various situations, and even replicating the annotations that we do in textbooks with a simple stylus that can change from a highlighter, underliner, strikethougher(?), etc.

They do have a fairly recent patent for a capacitance stylus.

Do get me wrong, I see the need for it and want to see it, but you just don't know with Apple. Just look at the magic mouse, it's terrible.